There was only a jigsaw puzzle of dry ground; A shroud of unfinished power lines dangling in silence. Shadow cows wandered over broken fence pieces, prodding memories of grass. I asked a hungry man, Where is the beautiful land I came to see? This is her legacy, he told me sadly. The legend you seek is dead. She was once virgin bride to the world. Her dowry was a sea of zebra. Her wildebeest thu...

In 1925, Yale professor George Counts observed key problems in Philippine basic education that, sadly, resonate with the issues plaguing the Philippine education system. Half of the school-aged children in the 1920s were outside the reach of schools. Pupil performance was generally low in subjects that relied on English although achievement in math and science was at par with the average perfor...

The Mpemba effect is the name given to the assertion that it is quicker to cool water to a given temperature when the initial temperature is higher. This assertion seems counter-intuitive and yet references to the effect go back at least to the writings of Aristotle. Indeed, at first thought one might consider the effect to breach fundamental thermodynamic laws, but we show that this is not the...

In addition, the total number of genes present in the body is estimated to be as much as 99% non-human. The implications of this fact are astonishingthe quality of our lives is as dependent upon the natural flora that we carry as it is upon ‘our’ genes. The time has come to stop ignoring the idea that humans are actually metagenomic systems. Sadly, the metagenomes of the oceans and even Pompeii...

Jeffrey Gray’s Consciousness: Creeping up on the Hard Problem will be enjoyed by everyone interested in consciousness. Gray, a neuropsychologist, eloquently summarizes significant experimental results on consciousness and, more importantly, explains both how these results interrelate and how they constrain potential theories of consciousness. He also uses these results to build a novel, fascina...

In recent years, the area of corporate sustainability and green supply chain management has been gaining popularity. Corporate Sustainability refers to ensuring that it contributes to a better quality of life today without compromising the quality of life of future generations. Green Supply Chain Management is commonly understood as the integration of environmental thinking into supply chain ma...

The Einstein–Rupp experiments have been sadly neglected in the history of quantum mechanics. While this is to be explained by the fact that Rupp was later exposed as a fraud and had fabricated the results, it is not justified, due to the importance attached to the experiments at the time. This paper discusses Rupp’s fraud, the relation between Einstein and Rupp, and the Einstein-Rupp experiment...

In the above passage describing nature, the twofold purpose of God’s creation is expressed. The blessing for humanity of such beauty and diversity cannot help but be apparent. Nature also exists to be another source of praise for our omnipotent God. Sadly, this blessing is not always treated as such. The environment and its degradation caused by humankind is an issue constantly in the news. Hum...

The notions of role and organization have often been emphasized in several agent oriented methodologies. Sadly, the notion of interaction has seldom been reified in these methodologies. We define here a model of runnable specification of interaction protocols. Then, we propose a methodology for the design of open multi-agent systems based on an engineering of interaction protocols. These intera...

Awareness of the nutritional requirements of inpatients has been sadly neglected for many years. Students in British medical schools are taught little about clinical nutrition and the role of the dietitian. Dietitians, on the other hand, spend four years learning the science of nutrition and dietetics. In most hospitals in Britain dietitians are responsible for giving advice on a wide range of ...